Conveyer system



Oct. 5, 1943 I D. H. MITCHELL CONVEYER SYSTEM Filed Dec. 4, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG-8 A A A A K l An INVEN TOR 0. H. M/7'CHEL 1. Y

Oct. 5, 1943. v L I 2,331,217

CONVEYER SYSTEM Filed Dec. 4, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVENTOR o. H. m TCHELL A r rah/v5 r thereof being broken away; 7

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional'viewtaken Patented Dot. 5, 1943 i ACONFEYER SYSTEM Donald H. .MitcheILICranford, N, 'J.', assignor, to Western Electric Comparimincorporated; New

'York, N 1, a corporation'of-New York A Application December 4, 1941, Serial-No. 421,577;

" .7Claims.- (c1.-19s z1 H U posed-of side rails l with suitablyspaced rollers I carried thereby. Carriers I8, of any suitable.

' type, may be disposed upon the main conveyer to travel therealong past'the branch conveyer l5 This invention relates to conveyer systems, and more particularly to deflector mechanismsitherefer therefor, including a simple yet highly efiicient control for a deflector arm'inwhich-a the control is incorporated.

With this and other objectsin view, as; invention comprises a deflector mechanism fora from the following detailed description whentaken in conjunction '-with' the accompanying drawings, wherein i H i Fig. l is a fragmentary top plan view of a conveyer system illustrating the-deflector mecha nism with the deflectorarm inactuated position Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan yiew'of the structure shown in'Fig. l; illustrating a different stage in the operationaof the deflector mechaw m'sm; a

Fig. 3 structure shown in Figs. '1 and 2, illustrating the An object of the invention is to provide aconveyer system, particularly a deflector mechanism part of arm 20 and the mannerin' which itis mounted.

'I 'hedeflector arm 2!l consists mainly-oi two angle. membersil and! which are arcuate' in general 'contourgand disposed-in overlappingrimsitions as illustrated in Fig. '7. 'I'hemember 'M:

and 22 of the-arm 20 are supported-at adjacent 7 ends, namely their rightends (FigS.. -'-.4-;and; 5,)','

upon a spindle 24. The spindle 2 4,='a's-w ill,be Ob -I served, by viewing Fig; '7, extends yerticallyf through an aperture in a bracketilfif, the lattBT'bQing fiXGd to the adjacent side railkof the conveyer'li. (A bearingZB, disposedconcentric.

is a fragmentary-top plan.view' of the 1".

1 for freemovement 'relativeto theifl mer deflector arm and its associated mechanism in] their normal position of the deflectorarm in] an openlposition, portions thereof being shown-in section; j i

Fig.5 is a fragmentarytop plan view of .the deflector arm shown in closed position, portions substantially along the line 6-61of Fig. 11;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary. sectional view taken at the pivotal support of the deflector arm; t Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken -along the line 8-8 of Fig. 4, and- Fig. 9 is a wiring diagram illustrating'the control means for the deflector arm. I

Referring now to the ,drawings, attention is di-' a main conveyer ID of the conventional type; hav.

ing a continuous belt -I'| travelling over suitable 1 withthe spindle, i supported'by the bracketifii A collar zs disposedi uponthebearing 28' con-1 u CentriGWVii/h the spindle 24; is adjustably'secured to .thelatter byjthe aid of a" set screw 30. 1 The collar 29 is also secured to the arm'- memberztat' its upper surface by suitahle neanssuch as-welde i I -in'g. Another bearingi 31,. disposed concentric with thespindle 24, is nested between thejarm ber ll d Zlser i t S p rt t e .An additional-support n means-iforgthe m beryl-2 is included in a bearing 33; dispose onf-I centric with the-spindle fl in a collar 34, thejlat ter be'ing fixedto theiarmmembe'rilby suitable. means suchas welding.

Attention is again dire extendin through anaperture inthe vertical wallof the member: Land having a head por'tion;

to contact with. the outer wall of the membrll.

between the vertical. walls of the. arm members 2|,- and 22, normally urgesv the arm '22 into itsnormal positionshownin Fig. 4. When inlthis,

position a switch 40,; carried by the member! I V is in open position.- The switch 4 0 includes "a.

plunger; 4H t ermally disposed outwardly, as shown, in Fig. 1, the switch being of a. normally.

pen t pe; the p1 n qwe .-b ine a ai ed tobe closed by the arm member 22 when the cted "a Figs. 4} and 5,] which illustrate acontrolmember 36 in-the,f orm of. a bolt having one end, fixed to the nernberjZZ;

latter is disposed in the closed position shown in Fig. 5.

The control mechanism associated with the spindle 24 includes a lever 43 having one end fixed to the lower end of the spindle, as shown in Fig. '7, the other end extending outwardly and being connected to a core 44 of a solenoid 45 through a suitable link 46. The solenoid is mounted in a suitable position so that upon energization thereof the spindle 24 will be rotated, through the link 46 and the lever 43, to move the arm 20 into the position shown in Fig. 1. Other means, such as a spring 48, interposed between the lever 43 and a bracket 49, where the ends of the spring are secured, may b'eprovided to normally urge the deflector arm- 20, through its connection with the spindle 24, into open position. If desired, in place of the spring 48 one end of a cable could be connected to the lever 43, the cable passing over a sheave, disposed at the bracket 49,'and downwardly to a suitable weight to normally urge the deflector arm into its open position, which position is shown in Fig. 3.

The control mechanism for the deflector arm, in addition to the solenoid 45 and the switch 40, includes a release switch 5|] mounted in the branch conveyer |5 with a roller arm 5| (Figs. 1, 2'and 6) normally disposed between a pair of the rollers IT in a position to be engaged by carriers l8 passing thereon. The switch 50 is of the normally closed type, the arm 5| being retained normally in its vertical position but movable by carriers on the branch conveyor to the dotted line position, in which position the switch is open.

Attention is now directed to the wiring diagrain in Fig. 9, where land lines 52 and 53 represent arnain supply circuit for supplying electrical energy to the control means. -A normally closed manually operable switch 55 is disposed to cause deene'rgization ofthe solenoid 45 at will. A manually operable actuating switch 56 completes a circuit, when actuated, through a relay 51, which circuit may be'traoed from lead line 52, at 58, through the normallyclosed switch 55, the relay 51, through connection 59, switch 55, to line 53- at '50. Thus the closing of the switch 56 causes energization of the relay 51 to close contacts 6! and 62. The closing of the contact 6| completes a locking circuit for the relay 51, which circuit may be traced fro'mline 52, at 58, through switch 55, relay 51, connection, contact-6|, normally closedrelease switch 50, to line 53 at connection 6-3; The manually operable switch 56 may thus bereleased after a short interval of time, the relay 51 remain-ingenergized, however, through its locking circuit just 'described. The closing of the contact, 62 completes a circuit from line 52. at 55, through contact 52,

solenoid 45, to line 53] at connection 65. This completes the electrical control of the deflector arm.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows. With the deflector arm 20 in the position shown in Fig. 3, carriers l8 may travel along the main conveyer I undisturbed by the deflector arm. If the operator wishes the carriers to travel from the main conveyer onto the branch conveyor, he may acomplish this result by pressing the switch 56 closed, causing energi'zation of the relay51 to close the contacts and-62, the former completing the locking circuit for the relay including the release switch 50, the latter, that is the Contact 62, completing a circuit through the solenoid 45 to effect energization thereof. Energization of the solenoid 45 causes a pulling-up of the core 44 which, through its link 46 and lever 43, eflects rotation of the spindle 24. This rotation of the spindle 24 although only a portion of a revolution, is sufficient to move the member 2| of the deflector arm 20 from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 1.

The member 22 of the deflector arm although not positively connected to the spindle 24, is caused to move with the member 2| through the control member 36. When the deflector arm is in the position shown in Fig. 1, it lies across the main conveyer in a curved path simulating a continuation of the arcuate contour of the branch conveyer to effect deflection of carriers moving on the belt ll toward and onto the branch conveyer |5. The momentum of the carriers I8, imparted thereto by the belt ll, eflects continuation of the movement of the carriers onto the branch conveyor, where they will travel over the roller arm 5| and move the arm from the normal vertical position shown in solid lines in Fig. 6 to the dotted line position shown therein. By viewing Fig. 9, it will be apparent that this movemerit of the arm 5| effects opening of the switch 50, thus opening the locking circuit to the relay 51. If only one carrier is passing along the main conveyer at the time the deflector arm is in the position shown in Fig. l, the opening of the release switch 50 will result in deenergization of the solenoid 45yrendering the spring 48 effectiveto move the arm into its normal position, following the deflected carrier. If a series of spaced carriers is travelling on the main conveyor at suitably spaced positions, the first carrier will open the release switch 50 in passing over the roller arm 5|,efl'ecting deenergization of the relay to render the spring 48 efiective to start movement of the deflector arm into its normal position. The deflector arm, however, will meet an oncoming carrier following the first carrier and the force of the travelling carrier engaging the'arm member 22 will cause movement of this member relative to the main arm member 2! into the relative positions shown in Fig. 5, in which positions the switch 40 is closed, completing another circuit through the "relay 51, this circuit being traced from line 52, at 58, through switch 55,;relay 51, connection 10, switch 40, to line 53 at H. Through the closing of the switch 40, the relay 5! is again energized to close the contacts GI and 52, effecting 'energization of the solenoid 45 to move the deflector arm back into its de fleeting position shown in Fig. 1.

Therefore, the controlling mechanism for the deflector arm includes a portion, namely the switch 4'0,'under the direct control of the arm, which is also under the control of carriers positioned to engage the arm. Furthermore, the contour of the deflector arm, that is the members 2| and22 thereof, makes it possible for the carriers to cause relative movement of the arm members even if the carrier engages only the end of the arm after the arm has almost passed by themain conveyer. This is made possible through the variation in the overall lengths of the arm members, such being apparent by viewing the drawings, the free end of the arm member 22 extending beyond the adjacent end of the main arm member 2 Thus engagement of a carrierwith the deflector arm will be with the member 22 thereof, effecting movement of the member :22 toward the member 2| to close the switch to again cause energization of the solenoid 45 through the energization of the relay 51.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed is merely illustrative and may be widely modified and departed from in many ways without departing from.the spirit and scope of the invention as pointed out in and limited solely by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a conveyer system having connected conveyers to convey carriers in different directions, a deflector arm mounted adjacent the juncture of two conveyers, an electrical circuit, means electrically operated by the closing of the circuit to move the arm from a normal position into a deflecting position to deflect a carrier from one conveyer to another, means adapted to be actuated by the deflected carrier to effect opening of the circuit, means to return the arm to the normal position, and an electrical switch adapted to be actuated by the force of anothercarrier against the arm to again effect closing'of the circuit.

2. In a conveyer system having connected conveyers to convey carriers in different directions, a deflector arm composed of companion members mounted at the juncture of two conveyers for movement with and relative to each other, means to move the arm from a normal position into a deflecting position to, deflect a carrier from one conveyer to the other, means adapted to be actuated by the deflected carrier to render the moving means ineffective, means to return the arm to the normal position, and means actuated by relative movement of the companion members of the arm caused by engagement of another carrier therewith to render the moving means effective. I

3. In a conveyer system having connected conveyers to convey carriers in different directions,

a deflector arm composed of companion members I mounted at the juncture of two conveyers for movement with and relative to each other, means 1 to normally urge the members of the arm away from each other, means to move the arm from a normal position into a deflecting position to deflect a carrier from one conveyer to the other, means adapted to be actuated by the deflected carrier to render the moving means ineffective, means to return the arm to the normal position,

and means actuated by relative movement of the companion members of the arm caused by away from each other, means to limit the movement of the arm members relative to each other,

into a deflecting position to deflect a carrier from one conveyer to the other, means adapted to be actuated by'the deflected carrier to ren-' der the moving means ineffective, means to return the arm to the normal position, and means actuated by relative movement of the companion members of the arm caused by engagement of another carrier therewith to render the moving an electrical circuit, means electrically operated by the closing of the circuit to move the arm from a normal position into a deflecting position to deflect a carrier fromone conveyer to another,

means. adapted to be actuated by the deflected carrier to effect opening of the circuit, means to return the arm to the normal position, and means adapted to be actuated'by relative movement of the arm members caused by another carrier to again cause closing of the circuit.

6. In a conveyer system having connected conveyers to convey carriers in different directions, a deflector arm composed of companion members mounted at the juncture of ,two conveyers for movement with and relative'to each other,, an electrical circuit, means electrically operated by the closing of the circuit to move the arm from a normal position into a deflectingposition to deflect a carrier from one conveyerto another, means adapted to be actuatedby the deflected carrierto effect opening of the circuit, means to return the arm to the normal position, and. an electrical switch adapted to be actuated by' relative movement of the arm members caused by another carrier to again cause closing of the circuit. 7 s r 7. Ina conveyer system having connecte'd'conveyers to convey carriers in different directions,

a shaft mounted adjacent the juncture of the two conveyers, a deflector arm composed of companion members, one fixedly mounted on the shaft and the other rotatably mounted on the shaft, means to normally urge the members of the arm away from each other, means to rotate the shaft to move the arm from a normal position into a deflecting position to deflect a car -v rier from one conveyer to another, means adapted to be actuated by the deflected carrier to render the rotating means ineffective, means operatively connected to the shaft to return the arm to its normal position, and means, actuated byrelative'movement of the companion members of the arm caused by engagement of an other carrier therewith to render "the rotating means effective.

, means to move the arm from a normal position I DONALD H. MITCHELL. I 

